Folding machine



Feb. 7, 1928.

G. ANDERSON FOLDING MACHINE Original Filed May 26. 1923 ,Fiynjl Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

eUs'rAr n. ANDERSON. or nnocx rom massacnusm'rs. assrcnon 120 THE enemas MACHINERY COMPANY, or sosrom'mnssacnusnrrs, A conromrron or massa- CHUSETTS.

IEOLDIHG' MACHINE.

App li cation filed May as, 1923, Serial no. e41,so1.' Renewed name", 1927.

This invention relates to folding machines and more particularly to a pressing mecha nism for use in such-machines and is herein" shown as embodied in "a folding machine adapted for folding a binding around the edge of sheet material. l

. In the shoe manufacturing" industry it has been customa to provide certain shoe parts with a bin i-ng 'of:suitable,material which is stitched-to the right side of 'fthe shoe part. at ftl'ie edgefthereof, and then, in order to co p itchin' turnedover an. nfia'rm the shoe pa I p being pressed .intocemented; relationfwith the ody portion of said shoe part on the wrong side thereof. The free edge of the binding or the wrong'side of the shoe part,

or .both, are previously coated with cement.

which is allowed to dry to a tacky condition so that when the work is done the pressing of the free edge of the bindin body portion of the shoe part wi 1 cause the same to adhere closely thereto. When this ll work is properly done, theedge'of the shoe part presents a neat, attractivehnd finished appearance In some shoe parts, however, it has beencustomary. 1n order to secure-a varied design, to attach a marginal strip oi;

material, differing either in texture or color. or both, to the shoe part at the edge thereof by stitching. or otherwise, said. marginal strip projecting to a greater or less extent beyond the edge of the shoe part, and to pro-. vide the projecting edge of the marginal strip with-a binding similar to that above described. When the marginal strip projects beyond the' edge of the shoe part a distance means in the folding machine, difliculty is experienced in applying the binding by .means of the machine, for the reason that.

the pressing means extends beyond the width of the marginal strip to a point where a double thickness of material is interposed between the pfessing member and the anvil, which, of course, prevents full pressure being applied to the free edge of the binding. Under such circumstances it is impossible to where those portions of thewor H the 'edge of freeedgeiof the binding, 7

upon the 7 less than the width of the pressing secure good results'by the use of a machine ,4

the pressing means are so constructed that the necessary ressure is ap lied to the work even though t at portion 0 the work under the pressing means may vary in thickness.

Another object of the invention is the provision of pressing means which is adapted for use in any type of foldin machine operated upon by the pressing means may vary in thickness.

Other .ob'ects of the invention will be more s eci cally described. and set forth hereina er.

My invention contemplates the provision in a folding machine of apressing mechanism adapted for pressing work of varying thickness, such, for instance, as that hereinbefore described. Preferably, I accomplish this end by providing a pressing member .made in two parts, one'part having a pressing surface of reduced area' adapted to engage the edge of the work where it is of a m thickness and operating in the usual manner and the other-part having a pressing surface which constitutes an extension of the pressing surface of the first part and beving yieldingly mounted to engage thicker portions of the work.

For the purpose of illustration, I have showr'rone embodiment of my invention applied to-a folding machine of the general type shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,294,919, issued to William F. Lautenschlager, February 18, 1919, as adapted for. applying cord binding, but it is to be understood that my invention is capable of broad a plication to folding machines generally w ether they be de- .'gned for folding the skived edges of sheet material or cord binding. I

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 96 is an end elevation of a folding machine of v the Laut'enschlager type having a pressing mechanism constructed and operated in' aecordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the pressing mechanism 100 looking upwardly in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view in perspective'of the pressing mechanism with the various parts disassembled; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the pressing mechanism operating on work of varying 10S thickness, said view being on an enlarged scale and in a plane transverse to the normal line or, feed of the work through the machine; and Fig. is a view in perspective of the toe portion of a shoe vamp having its throat edge provided with a projecting marginal strip with cord bindingto illustrate the character of work for which my invention is designed.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, which is an end elevation of a folding machine of the general type of the Lautenschlager patent hereinbefore referred to, indicates a lower arm and 12 anupper over-hanging arm, both of these arms carried by a frame not shown. Upon the ends of these two arms are mounted the various instrumentalities for performing the work, the actuating mechanism for imparting the necessary motions to such of said instrumentalities as have motion being carried by the frame and said two arms; In Fig. 1 only such portions of the Lautenschlager machine are shown as are'necessary to illustrate the application of a pressing device embodying my invention to that type of machine and the said Lautenschlager patent may be referred to for a full description of all the parts and mechanisms not herein shown.

Upon the lower arm 10 is mounted a worksupport 14 having its forward edge bevelled and provided with a stationary plate 15 secured thereto and having a diagonal upturned edge 18 for wiping over or straightening the binding as the work is fed through the machine by 'a feed foot 20 co-operating with an idler roll 21 mounted upon a screw stud 22. The lower end of the feed-foot 20 is provided with teeth for gripping the material and pressing it against the idler roll during the feeding movement. The feedfoot 20 is formed upon the lower end of a feed-bar 24 which is loosely mounted in a housing 25 carried by the feed-shaft not shown. A split collar 26 is secured to the upper part of the feed-bar 24 by means of a screw 27, this collar being so connected to the lift-shaft 28 that the rocking of the liftshaft during the operation of the machine reciprocates the feed-bar 24 vertically at the proper times. The rocking of the feed-shaft rocks the housing 25 and imparts to the feedfoot a forward and rearward movement. The result of the operation of the lift-shaft 28 and feed-shaft is afour-motion feed, the feed-foot descending to engage the material, then moving from right to left in Figure 1 away from the operator to feed the then lifting to disengage from th materia at the end of the feeding movement and then moving backwardly to the initial starting point ready to descend to again grip the material for feeding, this motion being the same as that shown in the said Lautenschlager patent.

For turning the binding over the edge of the material any suitable turning means, such as a plow 30 as shown in the La'utenateial schlager patent may be secured to the worksupport by a screw 31.

For guiding the material as it is fed through the machine any suitable guide may be provided and one such is shown comprising a guide-bar 34, having its lower end formed with a guiding edge, which is slidably mounted in bearings and 36 on a bracket 37 which in turn is fastened to the upper arni 12 so that the'guide-bar is held m a depending position over the work. As thus mounted the guiding edge of the guidebar engagesthe edge of the material around which the binding is to be turned, above the binding. In order that the guide bar may, when necessary, be raised into an inoperative position, and locked therein, a split block 40 is adjustably mounted on the guide-bar 34 and a helical spring 41 encircles the guidebar abutting at its lower end the split-block 40 and at its upper end the bearing 36. The spring is under compression and therefore holds the guidebar in a downward operative position with the block 40 in engagement with the bearing 35. A handle 42 is fastened in the block 40 whereby the guide-bar 34 may be raised in the bearings compressing the spring 41 and may be locked in an inoperative position by merely turning the block into a recess 43 formed in the adjacent edge of the bracket 37, the front end of the block projecting forwardly for this purpose. The guide bar is returned to operative position by turning the block out of the recess when the spring 41 forces it downwardly.

None of the foregoing construction constitutes any part of my invention, the main parts of the machine being taken from the Lautenschlager patent hereinbefore referred to. The stationary wiping plate is described and claimed in a prior application filed in the United States Patent Ofiice by Lorenz 'Muther and Frederick S. Glines on July 24, 1922, Serial No. 576,965, and the guiding mechanism is described and claimed in an 7 application filed in the United States Patent Oflice by Frederick S. Glines, July 29, 1922, Serial No. 578, 289.

The novel features of my invention re-' side in the pressing mechanism provided for pressing the turned-over edge of the binding down upon the body portion of the material. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the pressing mechanism is made in two parts, one in the form of a plate 44 having on its lower edge at one end a pressing member 46 adapt-' ed to engage the work and the other part being in the form of a plate 48 having one end 50 bent outwardly and then inwardly in order to partially surround. the pressing member 46 on the plate 44 when the two members are assembled together. The lower edge 52 of the end 50 operates as an additional pressing surface. The pressing member 46 is substantially erpendicular to the plate 44 and may be of any suitable shape, but is preferably rectangular and may, if desired, be provided with corrugations onits pressing surface; said corrugations being transverse to the normal line of feed for the purpose of permitting the free edge of the binding .on convex curves to form naturally into pleats under the impact of the pressing member.

, The two parts 44 and 48 are mountedon the portion 54 of a screw stud 56, the parts being provided with suitable holes for this purpose 58- and 60 respectively. The screw stud 56 is screwed into a threaded hole 62 in the lower end of a lever 64 which is provided with an integral shaft 66 loosely mounted in a suitable bearing on a lower portion of the upper aim 12. For the purpose of locking the part 44 on the lower portion of the lever 64 in engagement with the face of that lever 68 a pin 70 is set in the face 68 and projects into a hole 72in the. part 44 in relation to the lever 64. -When mounted on the screwstud 56 the two parts 44 and 48 are in engagement with each other, the part '48, however, being pivotally movable on the screw stud in relation tothe part 44 and to hold the part 48 in downward position, a spring 74 is provided having one end secured in a hole 76 in the part 44 and the other end secured around a hooked portion 77 on themember 48. The spring74 therefore holds the part 48 in adownward osition' in relation. to the part 44 and a suitable stop "7 8 is fixed to theipart- 44 and is adapted to I engage a recessed jiportion 80 in the part 48,

4o with the pressing surface 52 on that part thus limiting the downward movement of the part 48. The 'stop78 is so placed that when the part 48 is in engagement therelies in approximately the same plane as the I pressing surface of the pressing m'embefl 46.

The two partsl44 and 48. of the pressing mechanism therefore move at alltimes as a unit except when the work underneath the portion 5O of the part 48 is thicker than the work under the pressing member 46 of the part 44, in'which case the downward movement of the part 48 will end before'the downward movementof the part 44, the tension of the spring 74 th acting upon the part 48 to furnish the ad eauate pressure for that portion of the work nder that part.

Mounted in the lever 64 is a threaded screw 82 held in locked positionby a check- 'nut 84 and provided with a longitudinal hole 86 in its end in which is mounted a spiral spring 88 which bears against a block 90 set in an arm 92 fixedly mount'ed'on theend ofthe lift shaft 28.] Through the me dium of these parts the lever 64is rocked by the oscillation of thelift shaft 28'to raise and lower the pressing mechanism and the machineis so timed th'at the pressing mechtion of the lever 64. The screw 96 is' threaded through an arm 98 constituting a part of the upper arm 12 of the machine. The screw 96 may be turned in the arm 98 in order to adjust the pressure exerted upon the arm 64 by the spring 94. To raise the pressing mechanism at any time when necessary for placing work in the machine or for'any' other cause, the operator presses the lever 64 against the pressure of the spring 94. I

The operation of-the machine is as follows, assuming that it has been roperly adjusted and the movements of t e various parts timed'in relation to each other. As stated hereinbefore, this machine is designed with special reference to applying a binding to the edge of a marginal strip secured to the edge of the shoe part. In Figure 5 of the drawings sucha part is shown'in perspective,

to the throat edge 102 of which is secured by stitching 104 a marginal strip 106, this m'arginal strip having attached to its right side a binding 108 which is folded in a reverse direction to conceaL the stitching around the edge of the marginal strip and pressed down in cemented relation upon the wrong side of the marginal strip. It will be observed that the throat edge 102 of the fore-part 100 of the vamp, which happens to be shown as folded, is somewhat thicker than the mar ginal strip 106 with the'binding 1 08. In this case the marginal strip projects but a slight distance beyond the edge of the vamp and therefore when operated upon. by the machine the pressing device an' ges both the marginal strip 106 and necessitates that that rtion of the pressing device engaging the ouble thickness of the edge 102 of the vamp should order to. permit full pressure to the binding on the margin In presenting workjofth machine the binding isp the-sedge of the marg-in over in a reverse directi e the free edge-of the binding lying in aplane substantiallyfl arallel with.

the work. The work is place in the. ma-

chine wrong side uppermost, the feed-foot being raised by pressing the lever64 against applied s ltched to he o rator, tth1s point pressing mechanism away from the,work support; the part 44 being provided with an extension 110 whichengages a cut-away portion on the feed bar-24 to raise the same when and'only when the arm 64 is operated by theoperator. The starting of the vma.

the e ge 102, which y be resilient in and turned chine causes the work to be fed forwardly and during the forward movement of the work the upright oblique edge 18 of the plate 15 catches upon the binding and tends to straighten it out or to wipe it out in a direction away from the work. In this straightened condition the binding engages the plow as the work is fed forward and is turned over by the plow around the edge of the marginal portion 106 and downwardly toward the wrong surface of the marginal portion and in position to be pressed upon that portion when the pressing mechanism descends at the end of the feeding movement. The pressing mechanism remainsin pressing engagement with the work durin the return of the feed-foot to its initia position at the beginning of the feeding movement so that the pressing mechanism not only serves to press the free edge of the binding into cemented relation with the marginal strip but also'serves. to hold the work between the feeding movements.

In Figure 4 is shown in detail and on an enlarged scale the operation of the pressing mechanism upon work of this character. The pressin member 46 is shown in engagement with the pressed down free edge of the binding and extends substantially the entire widthof the marginal strip, but since that portion of the work under the pressing member 46 is of substantially the same thickness, the pressure exerted by that member is evenly distributed over its entire surface and the binding is pressed into secure cemented engagement with the marginal strip. The part 48, however, which serves as an extension of the pressing surface is shown in engagement with the thicker portion of the work at the edge 102 of the vamp and consequently is shown in a somewhat contracted IPOSTtIOIInVltll relation to the pressing member 46, the pressure exerted by the pressing surface 52 of the part 50 being due to the spring 74. It so happens, however, in the present instance that this pressure is immaterial since the binding does not extend under the part 50. In some cases, however, it may be necessary that pressure should be imposed beyond the limits of the pressing member 46, in which case the pressure exerted by the spring 74 would accomplish the necessary result.

It will be noticed that as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the member 50 extends beyond the pressing member 46 toward the operator and is curved inwardly at its end. This is to facilitate folding upon convex curves of small radii, in which case the folded edge of the work is turned in a direction oblique to the-normal line of feed and away from the plow.

One advantage 'of providing pressing means having a portion of the pressing surface resilient is that the non-resilient portion may be adjusted slightly lower in order to exert full pressure upon the work than would I reason that the resilient portion automatically adjusts itself to varying thicknesses in the work and its presence prevents any dra ging of the pressing mechanism. upont e work due to seams or thickened portions passing under the pressing mechanism. 0

Although I have shown my invention in connection with a folding machine adapted for applying-binding to the edge of sheet material,it'isQnot to be limited to that articular use,'since a pressing device who is provide ith a resilient portion is adapted for use folding machines intended for folding edges of sheet material either skived ormunskived, whenever the thickness of the material being folded or those portions of the Work which may come under the pressing mechanism vary in thickness.

What I claim is: "1. In a folding machine, the combination of means for feeding work comprising sheet material having a projecting mar inal'strip attached to one side at the edget ereof and a binding attached to the free edge of said marginal strip for folding around the edge of said strip in a reverse direction, means for turning said binding around the edge of said marginal strip and means for pressing the free edge of said binding on the body of said marginal strip; said pressing means comprising a pivotally mounted main member having its longitudinal axis parallel to the normal line of feed and provided at its free end with a laterally extending pressing ortion an auxiliar member loosel mountto serve as an additional pressing surface, a

spring for holding said auxiliary member in the lowermost position and a stop; carried by said main member for limiting the downward movement of said auxiliary member under the tension of said spring and for normally holding said auxiliary member in such position that the pressing surface lies in the same plane with the the pressing surface on the lateral portion of said main member.

2. In a folding machine, the combination of'means for feeding work comprising sheet material having a projecting marginal strip attached to one side at the edge thereof and a binding attached to the free edge of said marginal strip for folding around the edge of said strip in a reverse direction, means for turning said binding around the edge of said marginal strip and means for pressing the free edge of said binding on the body of said marginal strip; said pressing means comprising a pivotally mounted main member having its longitudinal axis parallel to the normal line of feed and provided with a late erally extending corrugated pressing surface, a loosely mounted auxiliary member having a pivot point in alignment with the pivot point of said main member and its forward end, partially surrounding said pressing surface on said main member to serve as additional pressing surface, a spring for holding said auxiliary member 1n the lowermost position while permitting it to yield when engaging thicker portions of the work and a stop carried by said main member for limiting the downward movement of said auxiliary member so that the pressing surface of said auxiliary member lies in the same plane with the pressing surface of said main member.

3. In a folding machine, the combination of means for feeding in a step-by-step manner work comprising sheet material having a projecting marginal strip attached to one side at the edge thereof and a binding attached to the free edge of said marginal strip, means for turning said binding around the edge of said marglnal strip and means for pressing the free edge of said binding upon the body of said marginal strip and for holding the work between the feeding movements; said pressing and holding means main member and having its free end turned around and enclosing the lateral pressing portion ori said main member, the lower faceof the free end of said auxiliary member serving as an auxiliary pressing surface, said auxiliary member being normally 'in close engagement with said main member, a spring attached at one end to said main member and at the other end to said auxiliary memberfor holding said auxiliary member in the lowermost position in relation to said main member and a-stop carried by said main member for engaging the lower edge of said auxiliary member to limit its downward movement under the tension of said spring. In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day of May, 1923.

GUSTAF E. ANDERSON. 

